Circuit-controller for portable electric lights.



W. BAUER CIRCUT CONTROLLER FOR PORTABLE ELECTRlC UGHTS.

APPucATloN F|LEuJuNE2.1s1e.

1,236,657. PatentcdAug'. 14, 1917.

'UNITED TATES PATENT OFFICE WALTER BAUER, OF NEVI YORK, N. Y., .SSIGNOR TO NATIONAL CARBON COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATEON QF NEWT JERSEY.

CmCUIT-CONTROLLEB FOR PORTABLE ELECTRIC LEG-HTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

Application led June 2, 1916. Serial No. 101,214.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l., Warnier: BAUER, a citi zen of the United States, residing at the borough of Manhattan, city of New York, in the county of New Yorlr and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuit-Controllers for Portable Electric Lights, of which the following is a specification, reference b eing had therein to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof.

My invention relates-to circuit controllers for portable electric lights or flashlights, more particularly those portable electric lights which are known as electric candles.

.bjects of my invention are simplicity of construction, durability, reliability, inexpensiveness of manufacture, and other objects and advantages which will hereinafter appear.

' My invention includes features of co nstruction and combinations of parts as will appear :from the following description.

I'shall now describe the electric candle illustrated in the accompanying drawings as embodying my invention and shall there after point out my inventionin claims.

Figure l is a central vertical or longitudinal section of the candle, with the circuit in the open condition. I

Fig. 2 `Iisa transverse section o' Figi as viewed from above taken on a plane Just above thecircuit-controlling parts, with the circuit-controlling parts and the base apall peering in plan.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial longitudinal section on a plane indicated by the slightly inclined line 3-3 of Fig. Q: as viewed from the right. i n

Fig. 4 is a partial longitudinal septihon on a plane indicated by the line or if ig. nl.

Fig. 5 is a partial longitudinal section in the plane of and corresponding to what appears at the lower part of Fig. l, with the circuit-controlling parts in elevation and the circuit in the closed condition.

Fig. 6 is a plan view ot' the b ase plate, of insulating material, of the circuit controller.

Fig. 'l is a similar view of an insulating spacing plate below the base plate.

Fig. 8 is a plan view ot' the circuit-controlling spring member in l'lat condition or before it has been bent.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the circuit-conf trolling lever or switch lever, of insulating material.

Fig. l0 is a perspective view of the bent;

circuit-controlling spring.

The electric candle illustrated in the accompanying drawings as containing one eniloodimeiit of my invention has a tubular cylindrical batteryvcoiitaining casing part or column l, the upper end of -which is closed by a removable cover cap or to 2 provided with a screw-threaded lamp soc ret 3 and removably held in placcon the tubular casing part l. by means ofi oppositely arranged outwardly indented`lyagsmt-atthe upper end or edge of the casing part l which engage above an inturned rim at the lower edge of the cover cap 2, a notch being provided in such rim to permit the passage of one of the lugs l, for the attachment or removal of the cover cap or top 2. The lower end of the casing tube l is closed by ametallic end plate or bottom 6, which is of shallow inverted cup-shape, fitting into the lower end of the tube l and is soldered in place, the joint being rendered more secure by means of a wire 7 shown as contained in an inner groove formed by a bead at the lower end of the 'tube l. rlhe bot-toni closure or end plate 6 is shown as extended peripherally outward to form a supporting base 8.

An ordinary minature incandescent lamp, having a bulb 9, has its screw-threaded base i3, forming one of the lamp terminals, screwed into the lamp socket 3 in electrical connection tierewith, and has its otlfer or central terminal ll exposed at the inside of the casing. A battery, having a usual outer insulating covering l2, is contained within the casing with its carbon terminal 13 at the top in contact with the central terminal l1 of the lamp, a zinc battery cup 14 being eX- posed :it the bottoni of the battery and forming the other battery terminal. Electrical connection between the zinc battery terminal le and the end plate 6 of the casing tube l is controlled by means of the circuit controller embodying my present invention and now to be described.

A switch base or base plate l5 of suitable insulating material, such as vulcanized ber, is supported at the inside of the casing bottom or end plate 6 by means of tubular rivets 16 shown as two in number, passing through the margin of the base plate 15 and through the met-allie end plate G and also through an interposed insulating spacing plate 17, the otherwise circular insulating plates 15 and 17 being provided with registering notches 18. A circuit-controlling spring, shown as a bent sheet metal contact strip, shown separately in Fig. 10, is provided, and has an attaching portion including perforated side lugs providing forthe securing of the contact spring to the upper or inner side of the insulating base plate 15 by means of tubular metal rivets 2G which pass through the lugs 19 and 'the margin of the base 15 and are insulated .from the metallic end plate G or' the casing by the interposed insulated spacing plate 17.

Adj aeent to the margin o t the switch base 15, the circuit-controlling siring strip projects and is reversely bent to an upward 1n-l clination above the base plate or switch base 15 in spaced relation to and overlapping upon the circuit-controlling part of such spring strip and terminates in a rounded contact-making en d 21 which resiliently supports the battery within the casing and also makes electrical connection with the Zinc battery terminal 1d. Inward from its attaching lugs 19 the contact-making and circuit controlling spring strip is cent upward to form a shoulder 22 from the upper part of which the spring strip is bent over and extended laterally to form an inclined actuating part 23 which molines downward from the shoulder 22 toward the base plate 15 but is spaced therefrom. Adjacent 'to the margin of the base plate 15 and opposite to or above the noten 1S therein, the downwardly inclined spring. part 23 is bent downward to forni a second. shoulder 2a spaced from the shoulder 22 and between which and joining the shoulders and 24 at the top is the downwardly inclined part n3. The downwardly projecting part forming the shoulder 2-1 terminates in a notched contact-malring or circuit-controlling end 25 which normally or when the circuit-controlling spring is unrestrained is in contact with the metallic end plate 6 of the metal casing to close the battery circuit through the lamp, as is shown in the drawings in Fig. 5.

A bent switch lever 26 is pivoted within the easing at the upper or inner side of the insulating switch plate or base plate 15 upon a tubular metal pivot 27 which `extends through the insulating supporting plate 15 and is insulated from the metallic casing bottom or end plate 6 by the interposed insulating plate or spacing plate 17, the switch lever Q6 being oi. comparatively thick and rigid insulating material, such as vulcanized liber. The outer end of the circuit-control'- -ling switch lever 2G projects to the outside of the casing through a transverse slot 28 in the tubular casing part 1 and provides for the manual actuation of the switch lever 26.,

The inner end of the switch Vever 26 extends between the spaced shoulders 22 and 24 of the circuit-controlling spring, and is also between the inclined spring part and thel insulating hase plate 15, the switch lever 26 being of sufficient thickness to fill the space between the inclined spring part 23 and the base 15 at the place of their greatest distance apart adjacent to the shoulder 22, this inner end of the switch. lever 26 being Inovable lle'tween and limited by the shoulders 22 and 24.

To open the circuit, as appears in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, the projecting outer end of the circuit-controlling switch lever Q6 is moved to the left as seen from the outside of the easing, which will be in a clockwise direction as seen in the plan view of Fig. 2. `When the switchdcver 26 is thus moved to produce the open circuit condition, its inner end will move out of conta ct with and away from the abutment formed by the shoulder E22 and will move toward and into contact with the other limiting shoulder 24, and in its travel between the inclined spring part 23 and the insulating base 15 it will exert a wedging action which will raise the outer or `lower end ot' the inclined part 23, whereby the notched or toothed contact end 25 of the circuit-controlling spring will be lifted free from Contact with the metal end plate G of the casing, thereby to break the continuity of the circuit at this point.

To produce the closed circuit-condition the pivoted switch lever 2.6 is moved 'in the opposite direction or in a counter-clocluvise direction viewed in llig. Q', therelY to move its inner end away from the outer limiting shoulder i-l: toward and into contact with the other higher limiting shoulder where the inclined actuating part :'23 of the spring member is more widely spaced from the supporting base 15, whereby thc resiliency of the spring member in its circuitcontrolling part outward from the attaching rivets 20 will move the notched contactmalring end 25 of the ciinuit-controlling spring` into eircuit-conipletingl c ontactjwith the electrically conductive bottoni or end plate 6 of the metallic casing. It is to he noted that the parts of the circuit controller of my invention are few in number and of simple construction, while producing highly effective results. Y

It is obvious that various modifications may be made in the construction shown in the drawings and abovev particularly described within the principle and scope of my invention.

I cla-im:

l. A circuit controller for a portable electric light comprising a circuit-controlling spring, supporting base upon which the circuit-controlling spring secured with a part of the spring spaced from the base and inclined thereto, anda wedge member movable between the base and the inclined part base and having a` free end part spaced from and inclined to the base, and a switch lever pivoted on the base and movable between the ,base and the inclined part of the spring for moving the spring to open or close the circuit.

3. A circuit controller for a portable elecy@tric light comprising an electrically conductive plate, an insulating plate supported thereon, a circuit-controlling spring mounted on the insulating' plate and having a part spaced from and inclined to the insulating plate and provided with a free end adapted to be resillently pressed into circuit-closing contact with the electrically conductive plate to close the circuit, and a switch lever pivoted on the insulating plate and movable between they insulating plate and the inclined part ofthe spring for wedging the spring out of contactfsvith the electrically conductive plate to open the circuit or for permit- Ating the spring automatically to close the circuit.

. 4. A circuit controller for a portable electric light comprising an electrically conductive casing part including an end plate, an insulating plate supported on the end plate at the inside of the casing, a bent circuitcontrolling spring mounted on the insulating plate and having a part spaced from and inclined to the insulating plate and provided with a free contact-making end resiliently pressed into circuit-closing engagement with the end plate, the circuit-closing spring projecting at its other end to form a resilient battery-supporting contact terminal Within the casing, and a switch lever of insulating material pivotedon the insulating plate and coperative by wedging action with the inclined part of the spring to open or close the circuit and projecting through said electrically conductive casing part to the outside of the casing for manual actuation.

5. A circuit controller for a portable electric light comprising an electrically conduc tive casing part including an end plate, a base plate of insulating material, a spacing plate of insulating material between the base plate and the electrically conductive end plate, fastening means passing through the base plate and the spacing plate and the end plate for supporting the base plate and the spacing plate on the end plate, a bent circuit controlling spring at the inner side` of the base plate and having spaced shoul.-

ders joined by a part inclined to the inner face of the base plate, the shoulder adjacent to the inclined part at its approach to the base plate terminating in a contact-making end adapted to be pressedlby the resiliency of the spring into circuit-closing engagement with the end plate, electrically conductive :fasteners for the circuit-controlling spring extending through the base plate and insulated from the end plate by thespacing plate, the other end of the circuit-closing spring projecting reversely back in overlapping relation with the inclined part and forming a resilient battery-supporting contact terminal within the casing, a switch lever of insulating material at the inner side of the base plate and having one of its ends movable between the inclined part of the circuit-controlling spring and the base plate to move the spring by wedging action to open the circuit and adapted to abut against the shoulders on the spring and the switch lever at its other end projecting to the outside oi' the electrically conductive casing for manual actuation, and an electrically conductive pivot Jfor the switch lever extending through the base plate and insulated Jfrom the end plate by the spacing plate.

In testimony whereof I have aiiiXed my signature.

WALTER BAUER. 

